Revista Haemus nr. 30-32 - Libraria pentru toti

two hooded partisans shouted down to someone on the ground. This person,
standing out on the street, was giving instructions with his hands. They
removed the flags once again and changed their positions. Where the
Albanian flag had flown was now the Yugoslav flag. On the other side was
the partisan flag, but it could hardly be seen because of the apse of the
church.
That evening, in the mess hall of the Franciscan Monastery, there was
silence, as if some close family member had died. No one spoke a word.
After dinner, Father Mati Prendushi called me aside and asked:
"Have you got the keys of the bell tower?"
"Yes, Father Filip gave them to me to regulate the hands of the clock."
"Were you the one who hoisted the Yugoslav flag?"
"No, not at all. Two partisans came and put it up."
"Did you not know," he continued, "that the flag of Scanderbeg was first
hoisted on that spot on 12 June 1913 and that the brothers defended it with
rifle in hand? Did you not know that Father Gjergj Fishta was condemned to
death because of that flag? Did you not know that even the Montenegrins,
when they entered Shkodra in 1915, did not dare to remove the flag? And
did you not know…"
"Father," I interrupted, "I know all that. The men who put the Yugoslav flag
up were two partisans who came with rifles, sent from the command. What
could I have done? Fight with them over it?"
"No, no, I'm not saying you are to blame. But it's a disgrace! If it had only
not come to this! How can the Yugoslav flag be flying from our church
steeples? Oh Lord, behold and judge!... Non-believers only think of their
own personal gain. And what did the partisans say? Were they impressed
when they saw the Yugoslav flag flying?"
"They said they were just carrying out orders from the command. In fact, I
heard them say they wanted to install a machine gun up on the bell tower."
"A machine gun?"
"Yes, a machine gun, because you can control the whole town from the
tower."
"We have always known what kind of freedom the Serbs have given us! But
what kind of Albanians are these partisans working for the Slavs? They
have sent our sons off to be killed there. Poor Albania, that's fallen into their
clutches!"
Normal life in town was paralysed. There was no more travel or telephone,
no shops or businesses opened, no government offices or official records.
On rare occasions, a piece of paper stamped with a partisan seal could open
doors. Albania was petrified and had fallen into a coma. Educated people
did not know what to do. The uneducated had taken power, and this was
only the start.
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